Ahead of My Time
by XxMissBlankxX
Summary: Possessing the ability to see into the future and past and random times and being both blessed and cursed with abnormal chakra levels, Kojima Akira finds herself in the first ever four-student group. Two of her teammates have polar opposite personalities (though they might be more similar than they think), while the other is a crazy fangirl. How will Akira cope being in Cell 7?
1. AoMT Author's Note

A/N (Author's Note

Alrightyyyy let me clear up some things for you all for this story so you don't get confused :)

The story is based on the Pre-Shippuden Naruto, if that was not clear.

OC's:

(Last name, First name)

Kojima Akira: Long black hair, brown eyes. Wears shorter-skirted kimonos and pulls her hair up into a ponytail with three shuriken.

Kojima Akiko: Akira's mother. Looks very similar to her. Usually wears hair down, but battle attire will be described later in the story.

New abilities:

Abnormal chakra levels: Unique to only Akira's family, it is a genetic disorder that causes one's chakra levels to dip or surge when emotions run high. Better described later in story.

Foresight: A Kojima clan Kekkai Genkai (Bloodline Ability). Lets the person see people's past or future, but never their own, except for their very first one, which shows an important event of someone they are destined to meet someday. If they can prevent that event, the course of their future will be changed forever, usually in a good way.

Clan:

Akira and Akiko are from a small clan that doesn't belong to any village; the Kojima clan. They are a distant relative to the Yamanaka clan, specializing in transferring images to other's minds, and, strangely, chakra shields.

Side note: Criticism for this story is great. Please criticize my writing so I can get better! However, if you simply dislike the story, don't write derogatory comments. Just don't read it. It's that simple.

Thanks!


	2. Prologue

"Kakashi-san?"

"Yes, Iruka?"

"As you may know, we have one four-person group that you will be in charge of…"

"I am aware of that. What were their names, again?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Kojima Akira."

"You said something about a genetic disorder?"

"Yes, for Akira."

"Interesting. Does it affect him greatly?"

"Akira is female, Kakashi-san…"

"Ah, sorry. Tell me about the disorder."

"I… think she will prefer to tell you herself."

"…Alright."


	3. Team 7

"A_kiiii_ra-chaaaan!" Sakura waved enthusiastically as Akira entered the room.

"Ahaha! Hi, Sakura-chan!" Akira waved back.

"Oh? You're wearing your katana today," Sasuke observed. "That's…"

"Totally awesome?" Naruto suggested as a finish to his sentence. "Akira, you _have_ to use it today! You look so cool when you fight!"

Akira laughed and blushed from the flattery. "Aw, thanks, you guys!" She regained her composure, looking around. "Our teacher isn't here yet? I thought I was 8 minutes late…"

"You _are_ late," Sakura practically deflated. "Sensei - whoever they are - is even more tardy."

"Oy, I have an idea!" A mischievous grin found its way to Naruto's face. He took a chalkboard eraser from a shelf and hoisted himself onto a small side table, cracking open the door just enough so the eraser could fit in without falling on its own accord. He placed the eraser in the open slot of the door, at the top of the frame.

It wasn't before Naruto had gotten off the table and put it back did Akira realize what he was doing. "N-Naruto! Don't disrespect your-" She ran to the table herself, about to move it and climb up to retrieve the eraser.

The door suddenly slid open more, the eraser falling onto spiky silver hair, then clattering to the floor.

Akira froze, horror teasing her. If there was anything in life she couldn't stand, it was being disrespectful.

Naruto, on the other hand, was holding his stomach in laughter. "Hahaha, he fell for it!"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto in repulsion.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "Akira even told you not to do that!"

Akira doubted that Sakura actually felt that way. Knowing her, Sakura absolutely loved the occasional rebellious act. Her point was proven correct as she caught Sakura grinning and holding up her hand for a fistbump with Naruto off to the side, which Naruto gladly accepted as he fistbumped her back.

The person who had walked through the door was a tall man with a black mask covering the lower part of his face and his ninja headband covering his left eye. Despite the silver hair, he looked quite young, likely in his late twenties or so.

His visible eye darkened with annoyance. "Well, well… how do I say this? My first impression of you all is…" he put a finger to his chin, thinking. "I don't like you."

Naruto's and Sakura's smiles flickered. Sasuke's expression didn't change. Akira immediately panicked, dropping the table.

"P-Please let me apologize for my teammates actions," Akira appealed. "They find amusement in these kinds of things. I will try to prevent them, but please accept my sincerest apology." Akira bowed to the silver-haired man briefly, dark hair creating a curtain around her face.

As she rose her head, she caught sight of his visible eye. What she saw in it was not what she expected. Curiosity. Amusement, even.

Akira tilted her head, confused. She must have shown it on her face, as the look in his eye disappeared.

"Maybe you all aren't so bad," the man said dismissively, moving on to the next subject. "Let's go."

Akira exhaled in partial relief, giving Naruto a disapproving look before following the silver-haired man out the door. The other three ninjas quickly followed suit.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto spoke up. "Uhhhh… where're we going?"

"Outside," the man said vaguely.

"But like, where?" Naruto added.

"You'll see."

Naruto and Sakura exchanged confused looks.

As they walked past the window, Akira caught sight of Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji, already beginning their day with their teacher, a brown haired man with a beard and a cigarette in his mouth that Akira didn't recognize.

They finally reached the door. The man swung it open, closing it after the four young ninjas.

They continued walking for what seemed like hours, though it was only a few minutes. Akira found herself on top of a roof, with a forest clearing not so far away.

"Hmm," she thought suspiciously as she swept her gaze across four logs with ropes.

"Alright," the man began, sitting down on a ledge. "Let's introduce ourselves. Sit, please."

The young ninjas obeyed.

"Let us say our names, our likes and dislikes, our hobbies, and our dream. I'll begin." He cleared his throat. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I don't really like or dislike many things. I have a bunch of hobbies. And my dream is none of your business."

Sakura stifled a laugh. "So in the end, the only thing we really know about him is his name…" she said quietly to herself.

Akira overheard. "That's not quite true," she contradicted. "We know that he doesn't have many interests, yet he has many hobbies. That means that he likely isn't motivated in many aspects, yet is good at doing a large range of things. He can probably multitask, too."

Kakashi tilted his head. "That's a very good inference."

Akira's attention snapped back to him. She gave an embarrassed laugh. "Thank you, Hatake-sensei."

Kakashi blinked in surprise, obviously not used to being referred to by his family name. The emotion quickly faded, Kakashi regaining his composure. "R-Right. Next?"

Naruto perked up. "Oh, yeah! I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I like cup ramen, but it's even better when Iruka-sensei takes me out to eat real ramen at Ichiraku Ramen! I dislike the 3-minute wait when I pour in the water for the cup ramen to cook. And my dream…" Naruto grinned and readjusted his teal ninja headband. "Is to become the Hokage and have the village recognize me! Believe it!"

Kakashi stared at Naruto, then switched his gaze to Sakura. "Next?"

Sakura's hand shot up. "Yes~!" She put her hand back down before continuing. "I am Haruno Sakura. There is something I like… or rather, some_one_…" Sakura's gaze shifted to Sasuke for a second before looking away, face flushing a rosy pink. "Um… let's move on to my dream…" She took a deep breath. "My dream is… um… I mean, my hobbies are…" Sakura curled up into a little ball and squealed.

"Well? Any dislikes?" Kakashi ignored Sakura's outburst.

Sakura didn't hesitate, her voice dropping to a lower note. "Naruto!"

"Whaaa?!" Naruto's jaw dropped. "But I… I don't…"

Akira grimaced. She felt bad for Naruto, more so since she knew about his crush on Sakura. She had no doubt that Sakura felt as annoyed by Naruto as Sasuke was about Sakura.

Kakashi's emotion made no change. "It is best if you don't despise your teammates, as they are your best assets in battle," he ran a hand through his silver hair. "Next."

Sasuke looked up, head rested on his interlocked fingers. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have many likes, but I have several dislikes. My hobbies are training to be a better ninja. I don't have a dream, but I will let you know this," A new light entered Sasuke's eyes. One of hatred and vengeance. "There is a man that I swear to kill. That is all."

Akira looked away. She knew who that person was. It was Akira who had brought Sasuke to safety that one eventful night…

Naruto's voice brought her back to the present. "Th-That person you want to kill isn't me, right?"

Kakashi sighed. "Next?"

"A-Ah, yes." Akira cleared her throat before continuing. "My name is Kojima Akira. I like logic and learning about ninja history and chakra. I dislike bullies and those who belittle others to try to bring themselves up. A hobby I have is sparring with other young ninjas. My dream is to become the best version of myself possible."

"Then… you're Akira?" Kakashi questioned. "Iruka told me that you had some kind of genetic disorder?"

Akira gasped. "Ah, right!" She fidgeted, making her seated position a little more comfortable. "When my adrenaline levels or emotions run high, my chakra levels dip or surge. It's completely chance of which one happens. My eyes glow blue when it surges, and I'm usually too weak to do anything when it falls. There's also some 1% margin where my chakra levels go super high and I can even heal people using my own chakra. That hasn't happened to me yet, though… Plus, when my chakra levels are up, I can sense chakra natures."

The light in Kakashi's eyes became that of when he had first met Akira. Curious amusement. "Well, that's good to know." He stood up. "Then, we'll begin our test."

"T-Test?!" Naruto panicked. "But I thought… Didn't we already pass…? Th-The one at school! Then what was the point of that?!"

"That was to see who had the _potential_ to become Genin. From here, you have a 33% chance of passing and becoming a true Genin." Kakashi stood. "I'll see you down at those logs at 5:00 sharp tomorrow morning."

Sakura gulped. "_Five_ o'clock?"

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed. "Oh, and it's best if you don't eat breakfast…" His gaze met all the young students' nervous ones.

"…You'll throw up."


	4. The Bell Test: Pt 1

"Morning…" Sakura rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Sleep…" Naruto reached out, as if the solution to all of his problems was in front of him.

Sasuke simply sighed and stood at the intersection of the forest clearing path.

Akira fingered her katana. "I assume we wait here until Hatake-sensei arrives?

Sakura nodded groggily. "Yeah…"

They waited for hours until Akira was sure it was almost lunchtime. Naruto had sat down and gotten a few hours of rest, and Sakura had also made herself comfortable on the ground. Akira succumbed as well, her stiff legs willing her to save her strength for later. Sasuke never sat down. So typical of him.

"Hello, everyone!" Kakashi finally arrived.

Sakura and Naruto shot up and pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're late!"

"Haha, you see, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to go around using another route," Kakashi chuckled nervously, not sounding sorry at all. He stopped as Sakura and Naruto continued to glare at him.

"Sensei, what's the true reason that you're late?" Sasuke questioned.

Kakashi didn't respond, instead pulling three jingling bells out of his pocket. "For the test, you have to each get one of these from me, or you don't get lunch and you'll be tied to those logs," he pointed at the four logs that Akira had noticed before. "That means that you've failed the test and won't become Genin. Come this way."

Kakashi walked to the forest clearing.

Akira gave Sakura a worried look, which Sakura mirrored, as the four ninjas followed their teacher.

"W-wait," Sakura added. "There's only three bells, but four of us."

"Yes." Kakashi confirmed, holding up an alarm clock. "You also only have three hours to complete this task."

A sudden realization dawned upon the young ninjas. One of them was not passing the test, no matter what.

Kakashi tied the three bells to his waist using a few short threads. "Oh, one more thing," he mentioned. "Strike as if you mean to kill me, or you won't stand a chance. Start when I give the mark."

Akira began to nod, knowing that his Jonin rank was not for nothing.

Naruto, however, overlooked this fact. "How can someone who can't even dodge an eraser be able to go against us four?" He brought out a kunai knife. "Don't worry, I'll go easy!" He lunged at Kakashi before anyone could say anything else.

"I didn't say 'go' yet," a calm voice said. It was Kakashi, who was suddenly behind Naruto, a firm grip on the arm holding the sharp ninja tool.

Akira started, the same look appearing on the other young ninjas' faces. _I didn't even see him move… _

Kakashi let go. "Alright. Go!"

Akira, Sakura, and Sasuke jumped to the flora, hiding themselves within the leafy branches.

Akira realized that she most likely couldn't take Kakashi on by herself. The only way was together. But Sasuke was a loner, Sakura would be focused on Sasuke, and Naruto… he wasn't even hiding right now. He would fight to the end, by himself.

Akira started making her way through the branches, before she jumped in surprise on hearing Sakura's alarmed voice:

"Naruto! Get out of there! You'll die!"

Akira turned just in time to hear a pained yell, and to see Naruto flying into the lake, holding his backside. She cocked her head in confusion. Whatever Jutsu Kakashi had used, or if he even _did_ use one, it wasn't deadly in the slightest. Sakura had probably made a mistake.

She did pause, however, when seven Narutos leaped out of the water. _Shadow Clone Jutsu,_ she recognized. _And more than one clone. Incredible!_

Akira snapped back to the present, deciding to escape the scene and regroup. She leapt from branch to branch through the seemingly endless forest. Finally, she found another clearing.

Landing gracefully, she straightened. She needed a plan, and fast. There wasn't much time to defeat a Jonin rank ninja, even in the three hours that Kakashi had given them.

Before she could even start to brainstorm, an ear-splitting shriek coursed throughout the forest. Akira immediately identified it to be Sakura. The sudden surprise had caused her genetic disorder to activate itself, thankfully her eyes glowing blue instead of her legs losing strength. Kakashi was likely in that area, though Akira had no idea why Sakura had screamed. She knew that she would have to take Kakashi on one-on-one, alone.

Akira unsheathed her katana, infused it with her blue chakra, and cursed.


	5. The Bell Test: Pt 2

Akira descended from the treetops, exhausted. She had been searching for about an hour now, and there was only about a third of their time left.

Then, she sensed it.

It was small, likely far away. But it was Kakashi's naturally electric chakra.

Had any of her other teammates had natural lightning nature chakra, she would have thought it was them, but Sakura was an earth nature, Naruto was a wind nature, and Sasuke was a fire nature, though sometimes she did sense lightning nature in him when his emotions ran high, which was almost never.

Quickly creating a shadow clone and having both Akiras hop into different areas of the branches, she watched as Kakashi walked to where she had just been, kunai at the ready and in a fighting stance.

"Huh," Kakashi mused, straightening himself. "I swear I caught onto her scent…"

_Scent?!_ Akira internally exclaimed. _How good _is _Hatake-sensei?_

Her shadow clone leaped forward, katana infused with chakra.

Surprise flickered in Kakashi's eyes for a second before shifting his gaze - right to where the real Akira was.

The blade sliced right through him, Kakashi's illusionary body turning into a log. The shadow clone disappeared.

Akira gasped, shocked for a second at the image of her teacher stabbed by her own clone, but she quickly calmed herself, realizing that it was just the Substitution Jutsu, and headed upward. She knew Kakashi would be aiming for where she would be, not for where she was. She would have to do the unexpected; show up right in the open.

She jumped down, katana ready.

"Hm. Maybe you are smarter than you look." Kakashi too descended, hands in pockets. Akira was glad she hadn't gone with her first instinct and went to a different part of the canopy, as Kakashi precisely predicted where she was going to go. "That, or the other way around."

Akira tried to stall. "I heard Sakura-chan screaming. What happened?"

Kakashi returned to his fighting stance. "A little Genjutsu goes a long way."

Akira, knowing she had to fight right here and now, readied her katana, her eyes and the blade glowing the same electric blue.

Kakashi began circling. He gestured at her eyes with his chin. "So, I assume your chakra levels took a turn for the better?"

She followed suit. "Yes, thank you. I was lucky this time." _Almost, almost…_ Akira shifted her weight to her front leg, but then regained her fighting stance.

Kakashi fell for the feign and his body twitched forward. Just as he began to relax, Akira's clone leaped from the trees.

Kakashi spun around, catching Akira's clone's blade with his knife, but quickly jumped to his right as the real Akira lunged, aiming for the strings of the bells at Kakashi's waist. Akira grinned, the chakra around her sword extending. It sliced two of the bells' strings.

Kakashi's visible eye widened, spinning and grabbing for the bells in midair, reaching them just before Akira.

Akira scowled at herself, making a mental note to practice her reflexes. Her clone disappeared with a _poof_.

Kakashi slid backwards into a crouching stance. "That's quite a move, there. That's the first time in a while that I've been caught off guard like that."

Akira, somewhat worn out, smiled. "It would have been so much easier with my teammates, but they wouldn't have even wanted to meet up and just would have gone on their ways…"

Kakashi stood up. "Wait, wait. You didn't want to come here alone?"

Akira relaxed her tense muscles. "Y-Yes. There's a very, _very _small chance that I can take you down alone, but with my fellow ninjas, we probably can succeed together, even though one of us wouldn't be able to pass. It's the only way we'd be able to get the bells in the first place."

"Well, then," Kakashi twirled his kunai on his finger before putting it away. "You pass. Congratulations."

Akira's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait… huh? I didn't complete the task that you gave to me-"

Kakashi took one of the bells that Akira had cut off and threw it to her. "And I say you pass. Go back to the clearing with the bridge and begin your lunch."

Without another word, he leaped and disappeared into the trees.

Akira stared at the small golden bell rolling in her palm, glinting from the sun's rays. She was genuinely confused. She had just suddenly passed the test?

She was really officially Genin?

Akira sighed and sheathed her katana, eyes toning back to their original brown. Pocketing the bell in her shuriken and kunai holster bag, she made her way back to the clearing.

A/N

I added Chapter 3 because, credit to GallifreyDarling, I was notified that there wasn't much of Akira's genetic disorder in action. Though it isn't much, I did add a little bit of action here. This is probably going to become a weekly fanfiction (every Sunday), instead of the every-few-days schedule that I had been following (Please forgive me if I release a chapter late -). Thanks to all of you!


	6. The Lesson

"No fair! Akira got a bell, but we didn't?!" Naruto whined. The other three young ninjas had returned without a bell in hand. However, only Naruto was tied to a tree stump. Akira sat on top of a monument, lunch half finished. The feeling of eating while her teammates couldn't started to make every bite taste bad, no matter how much she liked grilled teriyaki chicken with rice.

"There's just no possible way for me to beat him…" Sakura sighed sadly.

"You three won't be going back to the academy," Kakashi decided.

A smile spread on Naruto's face. "You mean we passed?"

"No!" Kakashi said sternly. "You will never become ninja."

Akira's eyes widened. Kakashi was strict, but never so much to the point where it was unreasonable.

"You're right. There is no way for you to beat me. _Alone_." Kakashi emphasized his last word, leaning forward slightly. "Together, you would likely have gotten all three bells easily. Akira saw that, while you three didn't."

The anger in Sasuke's eyes got to a point where he burst. Leaping off his spot on a large rock, he charged forward with a kunai knife clenched in his hand. Kakashi easily caught the boy, and soon, Sasuke was pinned to the ground by Kakashi's foot, kunai confiscated.

"D-Don't step on him!" Sakura shot up and pointed a shaking finger at Kakashi.

"Only three bells was for the sacrifice that you might have to give to save the rest of your team," Kakashi explained.

Sakura let her hand fall. "…Sacrifice?"

Sasuke's kunai now struck down right next to the prostrated boy's head. Sasuke's eyes locked onto the small blade, but he didn't flinch.

"Sakura!" Kakashi shouted. "Kill Naruto. Or Sasuke dies."

Akira stood up in shock. Kakashi would never do such a thing… right?

"Eh?!" Sakura and Naruto both panicked.

"…would be an example." Kakashi finished, retrieving the knife. He lifted himself off of Sasuke, letting the young Uchiha get to his knees before Kakashi handed back Sasuke's knife, receiving a scowl in return.

Kakashi turned to the memorial behind him. "All the ninjas here are heroes. They all put their teammates as first priority. The names of my friends are written here."

"Hey, I like the sound of that!" Naruto's grin was back yet again. "I'm gonna grow up and have my name put on that rock!"

Kakashi sighed. "You realize that there is something that all of them have in common that you do not have?"

"What is it?" Naruto asked, still smiling.

"They're all dead."

His smile vanished.

"I'll give you three another chance. Tomorrow, try to take the bells from me again. Akira can still help you out. Today, Naruto will stay tied to that log as punishment for trying to eat lunch before the test was over," Kakashi condemned, turning around.

_Oh,_ Akira glared at Naruto, who lowered his eyes in shame. _That's why he's there._

"Sasuke and Sakura. You may eat, then head back home." Kakashi said before he turned to leave. "Oh, and," He remembered. "Don't you two even think about sharing your meal with Naruto, or the consequences will be coming your way."

Kakashi performed a hand sign and vanished.

Sakura and Sasuke began eating.

Naruto clenched his teeth. "I-I can do this all day! I can run on an empty stomach! No sweat!"

His stomach growled loudly. Naruto sighed.

After a heartbeat, Sasuke thrust his lunch at Naruto. "Eat mine. I can't have my teammates dragging me down. Kakashi's probably miles away, anyway."

Akira strided over. "No, don't do that to yourself. He never told _me_ he was going to give repercussions for sharing my food. Plus, I lost my appetite a while ago. Please eat, Uzumaki-san."

Sakura gulped, but then presented her food to Naruto. "I-I'm on a diet, anyway, and shouldn't be eating this kind of meal…"

Naruto grinned thankfully. "Aw, thanks, you guys!"

Akira gasped as a whirlwind whipped through the area.

"You all…" Kakashi's menacing voice threatened.

Naruto's happiness cracked, replaced with terror.

The wind suddenly halted. "…Pass!"

Sakura froze in confused shock. "What?"

Kakashi winked — or what seemed like a wink, since one of his eyes were covered. "I said that you all passed the test."

Naruto's joy was back. "Really?! Thanks, Sensei!"

Kakashi again ran a hand through his hair. "You see, before, all my students were just blindly obeying my orders like mindless drones. You finally took my orders and found the true meaning behind it. That is why you passed."

"Ah, that makes sense." Sakura understood.

"You guys can go home and relax now," Kakashi said with a flourish of his hand. "Come to the school at 8:00 sharp tomorrow morning. I'll have a mission ready for you."

The young ninjas nodded gladly in obedience.

"Any questions?"

Akira raised her hand slightly. "Actually, I have a more personal question."

Kakashi tilted his head curiously. "Oh?"

Akira let her arm drop. "How many chakra natures do you have, sensei?"

Kakashi gave a true laugh, a sound that the ninjas had yet to have heard until then. "That's a question for a different time." He put a hand on Akira's head playfully, tousling her hair.

_A young, 15-year-old Kakashi had his arm through the heart of a brown-haired girl around the same age. His hand was crackling with blue lightning. _

"_I'm sorry… Kakashi…" The girl strained to say, blood pouring from her mouth. _

_Kakashi withdrew his hand, shaking. The girl's body fell to the ground. "R-Rin…?! You…?! "_

Akira's eyes darkened. "Who is Rin? Why did you kill her?"

Kakashi immediately pulled his hand from her hair, visible eye almost crazed in shock, sadness, suspicion, and anger. He stepped back, panting.

"H-how do you know that name?!"

Akira's eyes narrowed. "I told you about my genetic disorder, not my Kekkei Genkai."

The three other young ninjas looked at Akira and each other in slight worry.

Kakashi spared them a glance before turning back to Akira. She could almost see the panic and remorse swirling inside of him. "I… We… we need to talk somewhere private."

Sakura gave Akira and Kakashi a concerned look before taking a seat. "Go deeper into the forest. We'll wait here."

Kakashi nodded. He gestured for Akira to follow him.

As soon as he was sure that their voices wouldn't carry, Kakashi leaned against a tree.

"So," he stared at Akira suspiciously. "Tell me what I _don't_ know."

Akira nodded apologetically. "My Kekkei Genkai is foresight. When I touch someone for the first time, I see part of their future or their past. I see their past or future at random times too, but I have to have touched their bare skin first before that happens."

Kakashi sighed. "So you saw my past…"

"Yes," Akira confirmed.

He took a deep breath. "Alright… I will tell you about Rin. But you must swear to me that you will never tell a soul about my past."

Akira nodded. "I understand. I swear."

Kakashi sat down. "When I was about your age, I too was grouped into a cell of three Genin and one Jonin. It consisted of the soon-to-be Fourth Hokage, me, a boy named Obito, and a girl named Rin. Nohara Rin."

Akira's eyebrows shot up. "Y-your own teammate?! But why—"

He held up a hand to silence Akira.

"When we were 15, Rin was kidnapped and had been forced to become the host body for a tailed demon. The enemies plan was to make the demon go on a rampage and destroy Konohagakure. I had rescued Rin by myself. There were even more enemies, all Jonin rank, surrounding us. She told me to kill her, as she knew their plan, but I just couldn't do it…"

Akira watched as Kakashi brought a hand to his forehead, breathing one deep breath before dropping his hand again.

"Did you end up deciding to kill her?" Akira asked.

Kakashi shook his head. "No. I performed a Jutsu called Lightning Blade. You saw it in your vision?"

Akira nodded.

"I was using it to take down the enemy, but as I was killing one of them, she jumped in front of…"

He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. She had expected his eyes to tear up, but his expression was surprisingly solemn.

Akira very much wanted to hug her teacher and comfort him, but wasn't sure how Kakashi would feel about it. Instead, she walked over and sat down next to him.

"And I thought Sasuke had a hard history…" Akira realized. "That must have been so hard for you."

Kakashi glanced at her thankfully. "Thank you. I'm glad to get that off my chest."

Akira smiled. "I'm happy I could help."


	7. Kinda a filler sorry

(Sorry about dis filler… Uhhhh have an intro)

Chapter appears, holding 'Good and Exciting Writing' prisoner!

Chapter uses "Writer's Block"!

XxMissBlankxX doesn't have any ideas to write and loses 10 HP!

XxMissBlankxX only has one option and uses "Writer Technique: Filler no Jutsu!"

Chapter retreats for now!

(So, yeah. Sorry!)

As Akira walked back home, she heard Sakura yell her name.

"Aki-chan!" Sakura caught up to her, calling Akira by her nickname. "What did you and Kakashi-sensei talk about?"

Akira shook her head. "Hatake-sensei had me swear to him not to tell anyone."

Sakura pouted. "Aw." She soon brightened up. "Well, hope to see you tomorrow!"

She smiled. "Of course! I just hope that Hatake-sensei isn't as late as he was today!"

Sakura threw her head back and laughed. "Yup!"

Akira wandered mindlessly until she found herself in front of a ramen bar. Ichiraku Ramen. Catching sight of an orange-and-blue jacket, Akira made her way over.

"Uzumaki-san?" Akira pulled up a chair.

Naruto's averted his attention to Akira. "Oh, Akira-chan!"

"Akira?" Another kind, male voice interjected. "Nice to see you again!"

"Iruka-sensei!" Akira recognized. "Nice to see you, too!"

She paused as the waiter took her order.

"Miso tempura ramen with extra broth, please." Akira said clearly.

"Yes, right away."

She turned back to the conversation. "Iruka-sensei, how was your day?"

Iruka smiled. "It was fine. Another wave of students came in. They're a bit rambunctious, like usual, but they're fun."

Naruto laughed. "You've got that right!"

Iruka swirled the water in his cup briefly. "I heard that you all passed the test?"

"Yup! It was easy!" Naruto scratched the back of his neck in laughter.

Akira gave him a questioning look, laughing herself. "Says the one tied to a log."

This time it was Iruka that laughed. "Tell me about it. No matter what, I'm impressed. No one has ever passed the test with Kakashi as their Jonin."

Akira's smile faded, and she tilted her head at him. "No one?"

He nodded.

As Akira's food came, her respectful smile made its way back to the surface as she thanked the waiter. She turned back to Iruka.

"He's very strict, but I passed before the other three members in my cell did, and impossibly easily compared to how strict Hatake-sensei is…" Akira mused.

"Well, maybe that's just you being a talented girl," Iruka smiled with friendly affection.

Akira hesitantly returned the smile. "Or just good genes."

Kojima Akiko's head shot up as she heard the door creak open.

"Okaa-san?" Her daughter's voice rang through the house.

"Aki!" Akiko dusted her hands on her skirt before greeting Akira. "How was today?"

Akira grinned. "Great! I passed the test, so I'm officially Genin!"

Akiko's nervousness vanished. "Oh, of course you would pass, my little warrior." She hugged Akira. As she released her, Akira took off her katana, holding it up briefly. "I'm glad I brought this, or I wouldn't have," she giggled.

Akiko smiled at her daughter warmly. "Who is your Jonin ninja?"

"Hatake Kakashi-sensei." Akira replied before going to put her katana back in her room.

Akiko was glad that her daughter had left, because immediately after Akira said the name Hatake Kakashi, her face flushed pink. The White Fang's son, Kakashi had a mysterious air to him that could fill a room or disappear on impulse. It was said that no one alive except for Kakashi himself had seen him with his mask off…

She snapped out of her childlike fantasy as Akira yelled from her room, "Did you eat yet?"

Akiko quickly composed herself. "Yes, I did. Thank you. What did you eat?"

Akira emerged from her room. "I went to a ramen bar and coincidentally met up with Iruka-sensei and Uzumaki-san."

"Ah," Akiko made herself a seat on the couch. "How are they?"

"Great!" Akira sat down next to her. "Uzumaki-san is excited, since he finally passed the ninja test. Iruka-sensei has his hands full, as usual, but he's happy as well."

"I'm glad to hear that," She put an arm around Akira. "What was your test like?"

Akira brightened. "Oh, right! I was first to pass!"

She laughed. "That's my girl!"

Akiko listened to her daughter diligently as she explained her day and the test, starting from Kakashi's tardiness to the lunch sacrifice.

"…Then I asked Hatake-sensei how many chakra natures he had, but he said it was a question for later. That was the first time that we had heard him truly laugh, and he even tousled my hair a little jokingly…"

"What vision did you see?" The question slipped out of Akiko before she could stop it.

Akira bit on her lower lip. "He made me promise never to tell anyone…"

She nodded in understanding. "Alright. Was it his past or his future?"

"His past," Akira blurted out without quite meaning to. "I think he has as much of a broken past as Sasuke."

Akiko pursed her lips. She knew what had happened to Sasuke. She wasn't sure what vision her daughter had seen, but she _did_ know that the White Fang had died mysteriously, of an unknown cause. There were rumors that Kakashi knew why his father had died, though he refused to say it. Perhaps that was what her daughter saw?

"Okaa-san, supposedly, no one has ever passed-"

Akiko gasped, her ears no longer taking in Akira's voice. She knew what that meant. A vision was coming.

She lifted a hand, letting Akira know that she wouldn't be able to hear or see her for a few seconds.

Her sight was not, however, taken away. It was a vision with only sound.

"_This is the second!" _A gruff voice that she didn't recognize.

"_Uzumaki-san! Watch out!" _Akira's voice.

"_Uwaah!"_ Naruto.

"_What the— guh!" _That was Sasuke.

"_Eyaa! Sasuke-kun!" _Sakura, most definitely.

Akiko squinted in concentration. "Akira… tomorrow's mission should only be D-rank, right?"

Akira hesitated. "D-rank or C-rank, likely because we have a four-student group."

Akiko bit down on her lip. _That level of fighting that I heard is usually on B-ranks or higher… _

"Okaa-san? Is everything alright?"

Akiko grimaced. "Maybe not. I know this is super uncool as a mom, but is it possible for me to tag along on a mission?"

Akira sucked in her lips, thinking. "Perhaps?"

Akiko nodded. "A possibility is all I need."


	8. The Mission isn't actually C-rank!

Sasuke sat with his legs apart, elbows on knees. His fingers were interlocked, acting as a rest for his head. Akiko had shown up with Akira, in full battle attire, insisting on talking to Kakashi. She donned a pair of black leggings, a navy-blue cheongsam style top, forearm armor that ended as a fingerless glove on her left hand, and another fingerless glove on her right hand. Unlike the standard ninja vest that most ninjas obtained when they obtained Chunin rank, she wore a deep green belt with scroll-sized holsters, traditional only to her native village. Half of her dark hair was loose down her back, while the other half was pulled into a tight bun, stabbed through with a hairpin whose tip was too sharp to only be of use as an accessory. For the first time in a while, Sasuke was genuinely worried.

If Kojima Akiko needed to talk with a person and was dressed to fight, someone's future couldn't be good.

"Kakashi-sensei is late again…" Sakura sighed.

"Sorry, Aunt Kojima." Sasuke apologized to Akiko on Kakashi's behalf. "I know you want to talk to him."

Sasuke felt most comfortable when with Akira and her mother. After his entire clan — except for him — had been slaughtered, Akiko had sort of become the mother figure in his life. He called her 'aunt' even though she wasn't really related to him. Akira had been his first real friend.

However, he also felt angry at himself for getting so close to them. The more a ninja loved, the more they could lose.

Sasuke had already lost enough in his life.

He watched as Akiko looked around anxiously. They had been waiting for a good twenty minutes by now, and he was starting to get annoyed. _Why is Kakashi so late? Again. How mannerless. _

He looked up as Sakura yelled, "You're late!"

"Sorry, everyone." Kakashi was in the branches of a tree, though the reason he was up there was unknown. "I woke up late, and then was getting our mission for the day."

Something sparkled in Akiko's eyes. It was not just a trick of the light, Sasuke realized. It was small flame of love that burned strong, the kind that heat up your cheeks yet made you shiver.

Not that he knew what that felt like.

Kakashi's gaze fell on Akiko. Surprised, he jumped down. He opened his mouth to speak aver giving her a once-over. "You… are you Akira's mother?"

"Y-yes," Akiko stuttered. She bowed and held out a hand for him to shake.

Kakashi reached out, but then hesitated a few centimeters from her. "I'm very sorry if this offends you, but do you have the same Kekkei Genkai as your daughter?"

Akiko let her hand drop in understanding. "Yes, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi looked down apologetically. "If possible, please don't make direct contact with me. I'd… like to keep my past private."

As Akiko nodded in response, Sasuke could practically see her heart sink a little as she lowered her head.

"What brings you here?" Kakashi asked.

Akiko started, remembering. "Ah! I had seen a vision of the future, and I was worried about what would happen during the mission. I was wondering if I could come along to keep the children safe, just this once."

Kakashi thought, running a hand through his spiky hair. "I suppose you could. There's no harm in doing so."

Akiko looked happy and relieved, changing her formalities slightly to fit the scenario. "Thank you, Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi gave a single nod. "Well, everyone," He gestured to a nearby gate. "For today's C-rank mission, we will be protecting someone until they return home."

"Oh, oh!" Naruto suddenly jumped up. "Who is it? Could it be a feudal lord? Or maybe a princess?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes in disgust. Who cared who it was? Just finish the mission and get on with your life.

"Now, now, don't get your hopes up," said Kakashi to Naruto. "I'll introduce him now. Please come in."

A older, large man — not muscle-wise — came through the gate. A rope was tied around his forehead, pressing down on his grayed hair, and his clothes were of lower quality. "Yo, everyone! I'm the master bridge builder Tazuna! Protect me until I get home."

Sasuke couldn't help but cringe as Sakura flashed her trademark good-girl smile. "Of course, Tazuna-san!"

He watched as Tazuna leaned over to Kakashi. "Say, um, they're all kids? Except for you and that woman over there?"

"Yes." Kakashi confirmed. "What you gave us is only a C-rank mission, so children often complete these level missions as well. There shouldn't be a high level of fighting. If there is, Akiko-san and I are here. We'll be perfectly safe."

Tazuna cleared his throat, not looking quite convinced. "Alright. Let's go!"

Sasuke stood and followed Tazuna's light yet heavy steps. He did not have a good feeling about this mission.

Kojima Akiko's arrival and Tazuna's slight worry jumbled into one large feeling that they were not safe at all.

* * *

Sakura's legs ached. It had been four hours straight of just walking, with a fifteen-minute bathroom and snack break. Of course, Kakashi didn't eat a thing, as he would have had to have taken his mask off.

"Are we close to the dock?" She asked, pushing her cherry-blossom pink hair out of her face.

"We're almost there. Maybe around 45 minutes more." Tazuna estimated.

Sakura groaned. She was sure that she wouldn't be able to last 10 more minutes, let alone 45.

She hopped over a puddle, catching up with the others. She didn't notice when Kakashi paused abruptly and looked over his shoulder with suspicion.

"This is the first…"

Sakura gasped as a voice that she didn't recognize spoke menacingly. Whipping around, she didn't even see what had happened, just that now Kakashi was wrapped tightly by chains, which were connected to two different men in masks.

She screamed as Kakashi's body was ripped to shreds.

"This is the second!" The other man declared.

Naruto's eyes flashed.

"Uzumaki-san! Watch out!" She heard Akira shout.

"Uwaah!" Naruto cried out as the chains that were about to wrap around him were pulled taut and became stuck to a tree by a shuriken and a kunai knife.

Sasuke 'hmphed', landing on the claw-like metal arms of the two men, then proceeding to kick them in the face. He landed on the ground, unharmed.

_He's as amazing as ever!_ Sakura squealed internally.

She saw Sasuke's eyes widen as the two men detached their claws from the chains.

"What the- guh!" Sasuke grunted as he ducked to avoid an attack, the man barely missing Sasuke's head.

"Eyaa!" Sakura shrieked. "Sasuke-kun!"

Akiko finally snapped into action. "Sakura! Protect Tazuna-san!"

Sakura nodded slowly. "Yes!" Trembling, she brought out a kunai knife and stood in front of Tazuna, who was also bewildered.

She gripped her knife harder as one of the men pounced, thrusting out his claw.

_I… I must do this! I must do _something_!_ Sakura scowled in determination.

She gasped again as a blue-black blur shot out in front of her. Sasuke had gotten in between her and the masked man, eyes piercing.

The man didn't stop, closing his claw until it became one sharp point.

Sakura blinked in surprise as the man suddenly fell forwards, breath knocked out of him.

"Yo," Kakashi stood, the previously-attacking man limp in his arm. Kakashi dropped him.

"Sensei!" Sakura's eyes teared up. "Y-You're alive! Thank goodness!"

Sasuke smirked, relaxing. "Show off."

Akiko, who had just succeeded in defeating the other man, turned around. "Kakashi-senpai. Why did you have the children fight? What did you want to confirm?"

Kakashi faced her, somewhat apologetic. "Who those men were after."

Akiko's eyes flashed. She turned her stare on Tazuna. "I see…"

Sakura watched as Kakashi sauntered up to Tazuna menacingly. "Those men were after you. Can you tell me something about this, Tazuna-san?"

Tazuna fingered the strings of his bag worriedly. "Well, I suppose there's nothing I can hide anymore…"

Kakashi cocked his head. "Please speak, or I will be forced to abandon this mission."

He sighed. "There's a terrible man after me, by the name of Gâto."

Kakashi's eyes flickered in surprise. "Gâto? He's one of the richest men in the world. Why would he be after you?"

"You see, Wave country is very poor. Not much went in and out, but our people were happy and healthy. It was for that reason that Gâto wanted it, and stole the people's hope and happiness. I am building the bridge to create both a sign of bravery and for importations and exportations, to help our people and others." Tazuna readjusted his glasses nervously before continuing. "It is Gâto's greatest fear, that bridge being completed. That's why he is sending assassins after me."

Kakashi's gaze hardened. "This mission is obviously A-rank or higher. Why lie?"

Tazuna breathed deeply. "Like I said, Wave Country is very poor. We can't afford a B-rank or higher, so the best we could do is C-rank."

Sakura put away her kunai sadly. Was Wave Country really that desperate?

She heard Kakashi sigh, obviously torn. Sakura understood. Abandon the mission and likely cause Tazuna to get killed? Or go on with the mission and put the weaker Genin in danger?

Kakashi seemed to have made up his mind. "I'm sorry, but we cannot continue with you. Please go back to your village on your own."

Sakura caught a glimpse of Akiko grimacing apologetically.

Tazuna sighed. "Alright, that makes sense… but…"

Kakashi tilted his head. "What is it?"

"If I die, my cute little grandson will only cry for weeks and weeks without break, but it's alright!" Tazuna commented. "_And_ my family will forever hate Konoha shinobi for the rest of their lives, but don't worry about it, because it's not your fault!" Tazuna then started sniffling uncontrollably.

Sakura saw Kakashi freeze up, taken aback and not quite sure how to respond. She immediately went to Tazuna's side, as did Naruto, and tried to comfort him.

"D-Don't worry!" She heard Naruto attempt, "We'll figure out something!"

"Y-Yeah!" Sakura agreed. "S-Sensei, it's just one mission! We'll be fine!"

Kakashi sighed. "Alright. We will accompany you until you get back home."

Sakura flinched a little as Tazuna pushed Naruto off. He smiled and stood up, as if he was never about to cry. "Really? That's good to hear."

Kakashi scoffed in disgust. "I don't think it'll be _that_ bad…"

She felt her face flush as Sasuke 'tch'ed at Tazuna's actions. How cool of him…

Sakura shook it off, knowing that this wasn't the time to fangirl over Sasuke. Dangerous or not, they were going to protect Tazuna.


	9. I See Your Chakra

Kakashi swept a hand through his silver hair as the group continued forwards. They had just gotten off a boat that lead to the Wave Country, and had started walking yet again. They had fixed up a wound that they had found on Naruto's hand before they left, which had Kakashi thinking how locked away the Nine-Tailed Fox really was. Though his hand had been cut just a few minutes prior, it had almost fully healed by the time they bandaged it.

"There!" Naruto yelled suddenly.

Kakashi stopped in his tracks as something whizzed past a few meters away.

"What do you think you're doing, trying to look cool?!" Sakura shouted. Kakashi heard a sound of impact as Sakura's fist made contact with Naruto's face. "There was nothing there!"

Kakashi laughed nervously. "Naruto, please don't play around with shuriken. They're really dangerous…"

Naruto pointed at where he had thrown his shuriken in protest. "B-But I really did sense something there!"

Sasuke rummaged through the bushes. "Hm. A rabbit."

The little white rabbit that Sasuke had found and was now holding by the ears was dizzied with shock and looked very scared.

"Ah, poor bunny!" Akira took it in her arms, trying to calm it.

"Naruto, what have you done?!" Sakura exclaimed, walking over to try and help Akira alleviate the rabbit's shock.

Kakashi met Akiko's gaze. By the look in her eyes, she was thinking the same thing as him.

It was spring. Rabbits' coats are white only in the winter. It must have been raised indoors with little sunlight to be used as a decoy.

They were here.

Kakashi gasped as something glinted metallically in the treetops.

"Get down!" He shouted.

Throwing himself to the ground, his eyes caught a large blade spinning right over their heads. If Kakashi had yelled out a second later, the situation would have become a lot worse.

He now stood up slowly, averting his gaze to the blade - now stuck in a tree - to the person standing on top of it. Akiko had disappeared from sight, likely hiding to launch a surprise attack on the offender.

"Well, well." Kakashi tested the tense atmosphere footsteps wary. "If it isn't the ninja who ran away from home, Momochi Zabuza."

The man who stood atop the blade - Zabuza - turned his head in acknowledgement. "Konohagakure's Hatake Kakashi."

Kakashi tilted his head in response.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but," Zabuza turned his gaze on Tazuna. "Mind passing that old man to me?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto begin to run forwards. Kakashi stopped him abruptly with his left arm.

"Oy, Sensei, let me at him!" Naruto complained.

"No," He denied. "This one is at a different level than the others. Give me space…"

Kakashi took off the backpack that he was carrying, then reached for his headband. "…Because like this, it may get a little messy." He raised his headband above his usually hidden left eye.

Then he opened it.

Immediately, the world became a slightly red shade. He could see the chakra swirling inside of everyone around him, including a chakra hidden in the trees, definitely Akiko. Time even seemed slowed.

"What the…?!" He heard Naruto start. "Sensei, what's with your eye?"

"The Mirror-Wheel eye? So soon?" Zabuza smirked. "What an honor."

"The Sharingan, or the Mirror-Wheel eye, is a special type of ocular Jutsu that only those that have mastered Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu can control. It lets you see any move or Jutsu and copy it." Sasuke explained to Naruto.

"So that's Sharingan…" Sakura said in awe.

Akira took a double take. That eye… she had seen it somewhere before. But where?

She quickly waved away her questioning, glad that her own eyes were now a clear blue, mirroring the color of the nearby lake. The problem at hand was more important right now.

Kakashi caught Sasuke looking at him with suspicion. His facial expression gave away exactly what he was thinking.

_Only a select few of the Uchiha clan obtain Sharingan. So why does _he _have it?_

_Good question, Sasuke,_ he thought to himself. _I'm not worthy of this eye in the slightest… _

Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts as Zabuza ripped his blade from the tree and landed on the surface of the water.

"Ninja Art," Zabuza began, bringing his fingers into halberds and placing one far above his head and the other just in front of his chest. "Hidden Mist no Jutsu!"

Immediately after the words left his lips, a mist began rising from the water. Zabuza disappeared, a leaf touching down where he just was.

"He's gone!" He heard Sakura shriek.

"What are we going to do?!" Naruto gasped.

Sasuke began clenching a kunai very tightly, breaking out in cold sweat.

"Calm down, everyone," Kakashi walked forwards slowly. "I'll protect you, even if it kills me."

"Oh?" Zabuza's voice resonated, though it was practically impossible to know where it was coming from. "I wonder if you can keep that promise…"

Kakashi's eyes flashed.

_Zabuza reappeared in the middle of the formation that the younger ninjas had taken on previously to protect Tazuna, and sliced. _

He whipped around, but where he thought he had seen Zabuza, nobody was present.

Just then, Zabuza reappeared in the same position that Kakashi had foreseen.

_A vision?!_ Kakashi internally exclaimed. How he had obtained that vision was a mystery. But there was no time for that right now.

Barely even seeing his own movement, Kakashi was in front of Zabuza in less than a heartbeat, stabbing Zabuza in the chest. Thanks to Sharingan, he knew it was just a water clone, but even clones could do real damage.

And now, Kakashi could use that same Jutsu. He focused his chakra as he sensed the real Zabuza behind him.

Sakura screeched as Zabuza's blade sliced right through his body. But it was just water. Kakashi found himself behind Zabuza, kunai pointed at Zabuza's neck.

"It's over." Kakashi declared.

"Amazing…" Naruto's eyes widened.

"Sensei, you're awesome!" Sakura cheered.

"Heh," Zabuza smirked. "You're pretty good, but I'm not that easy…"

Akira narrowed her eyes at Zabuza, then widened them in realization.

"Hatake-sensei! That's a fake!" She shouted in terror.

* * *

Rip sorry it ended on a cliffhanger. The first Kakashi-Zabuza fight is pretty long. Oof.

Please forgive me!


	10. Swirling Water

Kakashi nodded slightly at Akira's warning. _I need to let him attack me, and escape into the water to regroup… _

He braced himself as the actual Zabuza came behind him. Letting Zabuza kick him in the side, he dropped a handful of caltrops onto the ground to make Zabuza hesitate. However, Zabuza's instincts had him jump over the caltrops with his momentum, bringing his large blade down upon Kakashi.

Kakashi put his arms up to shield his face, but instead of pain, he heard the clang of metal against metal.

Akiko had jumped between him and Zabuza, her kunai the only thing keeping herself and Kakashi safe.

"Akiko—!" His eyes widened.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, then averted her gaze to the water. Understanding dawned on her.

"…I see." Was all she said.

He nodded gratefully, not focusing his chakra to his feet to prevent himself from standing on the water. Judging from how Akiko too fell below the surface of the water, she had done the same and understood his plan.

_**You can see this, right?**_

Kakashi tilted his head as words scrolled across his eyesight, nodding once.

_**This is Kojima Akiko, by the way. This Jutsu lets me show pictures in others' minds. **_

He simply nodded, looking over at her. _So that vision was from Akiko-kohai… _

Akiko made a small gesture to the area where the students and Tazuna were. _**Kakashi-senpai, our best bet is to retreat momentarily with everyone else. Do you agree?**_

Kakashi nodded again, pointing upwards to signal for them to get out of the water and take action.

He gasped for air as his head broke the surface. He coughed as he started to sink back down again, barely treading enough water to stay afloat.

"Senpai…?!" Akiko lifted her hand fearfully, letting the water run through her fingers.

He was thinking the same thing. They had made a mistake trying to get into the water.

The water was unnaturally heavy. They were about to be caught in a Jutsu.

Their point was proven correct as Zabuza appeared behind them.

"Water Prison no Jutsu!" He shouted.

_This is bad…!_ He cursed as water swirled around him and Akiko. _Escaping into the water _should _have helped us plan, but it was a tactical error!_

"Okaa-san! Sensei!" Akira shouted out in terror.

Kakashi and Akiko took one last breath of air before being completely trapped in a sphere of spinning water. He inwardly sighed, knowing what this meant.

"Get out of here!" Kakashi shouted, glad that his voice was still clear enough to understand, seeing another one of Zabuza's clones materialize out of the scattered water. "The real Zabuza can't move while using this Jutsu! If he wants to keep Akiko-kohai and I in here, he'll lose control of his water clone if it strays too far away!"

Naruto clenched his teeth before yelling out a battle cry and leaping at water-Zabuza. As he ran forwards, water-Zabuza kicked him away easily, Naruto's teal-clothed ninja headband clattering to the ground.

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled desperately. "Don't forget the purpose of this mission!"

All the young ninja's gazes snapped to Tazuna.

Akira's eyes softened sadly. "That's right…"

Naruto began to inch backwards, but then snatched his left hand from underneath him, face contorted slightly in pain. It was the hand that had been injured in the previous battle.

Kakashi watched as Naruto stared at his bandaged wound.

"I… told myself I wasn't going to run away anymore…" Though Naruto's voice was barely over a whisper, Kakashi's Sharingan read his lips easily.

Yelling out again, Naruto ran at water-Zabuza, but he was simply kicked away again. Naruto rolled a few meters away, clutching his hand again.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, eyes tearing up. "I know you think you look cool, but us Genin can't defeat him! We _need_ to fall back!"

Naruto slowly tried pushing himself back up with his non-injured hand, groaning as he did so.

"Please, Naruto! We can't… Eh?" Sakura's eyes widened at Naruto's actions.

"Hey you… How's life without eyebrows, eh?" Naruto wiped the blood that spilled from his mouth.

Water-Zabuza's haughty gaze turned to a glare.

"Put the name of the soon-to-be Hokage in your book of great ninjas… the name of the ninja that will defeat you!" Naruto finally stood all the way up, tying his previously-fallen ninja headband in determination. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

Kakashi glanced at Akiko, who face was ridden with both worry and faith.

"Sasuke!" The two trapped ninjas heard Naruto gesture for Sasuke to come closer. "Give me your ear. I have a plan!"

Sasuke quickly leaned over, keeping his eyes locked on both Zabuzas.

"Heard that?" Naruto grinned. "Let's go wild!"

Sasuke simply nodded once before pulling his stance into a more stable one.

_Oh, no… _Kakashi thought in desperation as he saw water-Zabuza's energy move, about to attack. _This won't end well… _

His prediction was proven correct as water-Zabuza suddenly dashed forward.

Sasuke's eyes barely had time to widen before he was kicked into the air.

"Shoot!" Naruto cursed, whipping around.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked as water-Zabuza axe-kicked him back to the ground.

"Guh!" Sasuke coughed, blood spraying from his mouth.

_Honestly,_ Kakashi sighed in slight annoyance. _Is 'Sasuke-kun' the only thing Sakura can ever say?_

"Stop…!" He heard Akiko mutter in worry, seeing water-Zabuza place a foot on the Uchiha, handling his blade.

He turned his attention back to the fight as Naruto yelled:

"Ready or not… Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)!"

Almost immediately, around twenty Narutos puffed into existence, kunai in hand. They leaped impossibly high into the air before striking down on water-Zabuza.

_No good,_ Kakashi knew. _He's a water clone. Physical attacks won't affect him in any way. _

His point was proven to be correct as all of Naruto's clones were repelled with a single spin of water-Zabuza's blade.

All of Naruto's clones disappeared with a _poof_. The real Naruto reached into his backpack. "I guess this is the only thing that'll work…"

A silver blur sped through the air.

"Sasuke, catch!"

The Uchiha caught the flying item, surprise flashing across his face before he smirked in realization. Sasuke snapped open the large Fuma shuriken, pausing at first to analyze how to throw it.

"Naruto… Finally you think of a good plan!" Sasuke complimented, jumping upwards and launching the deadly shuriken.

Water-Zabuza stood, unfazed. "Shuriken don't work on me," he said with boredom.

The shuriken was not, however, aimed at Zabuza's clone. It spiraled past him and towards the real Zabuza.

"Well, at least you have the common sense to aim at my true body," Zabuza commented. To the despair of the onlookers, he grabbed the shuriken from out of the air. "But such an attack still won't—"

Zabuza's calm expression cracked as another shuriken, hidden in the shadow of the first one, continued to spin towards him.

Akira's eyes widened at the skill of the attack. _Isn't that the Shadow Shuriken Technique? How did they pull off such a complicated Taijutsu?!_

"Woah!" Zabuza jumped over the huge throwing star in the nick of time. "Heh… You almost got me, there."

"Oh, no!" Sakura and Tazuna panicked.

Suddenly, the image of the shuriken blurred before their eyes, revealing what was actually the Naruto.

Akiko, whose light of hope had almost extinguished, turned around with her last embers of that light coming to life again.

"Give back…" Naruto winded him arm back, then threw the kunai with all that he was. "My sensei and auntie!"

The real Zabuza turned around and pulled away just in time, though the knife still left a cut on his cheek.

"You little—!" Zabuza spun the shuriken that he had previously caught, about to attack the now falling Naruto.

Zabuza's heart skipped a beat as the shuriken's movement stopped with a metallic _clang_. He glanced at the freed Kakashi, who had stopped the star with the back of his fist where a thin metal plate was sewn onto his glove. The shuriken was digging into his skin, but if he felt any pain, Kakashi didn't show it in his face. His usually spiked hair was drooping over his face like a wet curtain, Sharingan spinning intensely.

Akiko stood fiercely next to him. Her eyes were currently a bright teal, and despite the cool color, her eyes were blazing. She held a kunai in each hand.

Zabuza realized that he had been scared for a single second. As if he was done for if he moved even an inch.

"Your plan was impressive, Naruto. You've matured." Kakashi pushed aside the shuriken, not even giving a slight grimace as the wound deepened. "You all have."

Akira sighed in relief before realizing she should probably help.

"Okaa-san!" She called out, tossing Akiko the katana in her hand. "Catch!"

In a flash, Akiko had returned her knives to her thigh holster and caught the shining blade, jumping over Kakashi and bringing it down on where Kakashi was keeping Zabuza in place.

Zabuza immediately let go of the shuriken and jumped backwards. The metal star sank into the lake.

Kakashi also retreated slightly, in a defensive stance next to Akiko.

"Akiko-kohai, I have a plan, but it will be best for you to stay out of the way," whispered Kakashi. "It'll only work if the only one he's focused on is me."

Akiko opened her mouth to protest, but shut it after catching sight of Kakashi's Sharingan. She knew what it did. It saw. It copied. It controlled.

But most importantly, it lied.

She had forgotten one of the aspects of the Sharingan; Genjutsu. Of course. If Zabuza only looked at Kakashi, he would fall for the trap. But if she was there fighting, it could most definitely fail if his focus was alternating too much.

Akiko sighed, not wanting Kakashi to fight a famous and powerful rogue ninja, even if he _was_ holding the record for youngest ninja to ever reach Jonin rank (he had reached it at age 13, and no one has ever beaten him). But there was currently no other way.

"I believe in you," Akiko whispered back before running towards Naruto to get him out of the way.

_Thank you,_ Kakashi thought as he turned back to Zabuza. _She understood my plan after just one look at me… You're an amazing ninja, Kojima Akiko._

* * *

A/N: Sorry about not sending out a chapter last week. With schoolwork and all, I think I'm going to have to make this an every-two-weeks story. I made this chapter a little longer to make up for no chapter release last week. Thanks for understanding!


	11. Vortex

(A/N)

Yes, I'm alive.

whELP first let me apologize...

Life's been kinda crazy and I haven't found much time to write, so the chapters after this one will just come out whenever they're ready.

Sorry!

Thank you for your patience!

* * *

Akiko could barely focus on her task as she reached out to the water-treading Naruto, who gladly took her hand. She easily pulled the boy out of the water and into her arms, but couldn't help looking back at Kakashi. He and Zabuza were only circling right now, but any sudden movement of either skilled ninja could set off a chain reaction of Jutsus, weapons, and blood.

She quickly made her way back to the shore, where Akira, Sakura, and Sasuke were still protecting Tazuna not too far away.

"Hey, Naruto," Akiko placed him back down on the ground. "You really think of me as an aunt figure in your life?"

Naruto's face immediately reddened, remembering the line he had delivered just before throwing the kunai that freed Kakashi and Akiko. "_Give back my sensei and auntie!"_

"I-I mean, you really c-c-care about me and all, a-and I just b-blurted it out…! S-Sorry!" He waved his hands in front of him in embarrassment.

Akiko laughed despite the ongoing battle not too far away. "You're so cute. I'm not mad or anything. In fact, I'm happy that you think of me that way."

"I'm very sorry you all are caught up in this," Tazuna apologized profusely as Akiko and Naruto's distance to him and the two Genin next to him decreased. "This is completely my fault."

"No, it's quite alright," Akiko replied. "Someone in this world would have to protect you, anyway. Why not us?"

Tazuna didn't look assured, but accepted her response. "I suppose."

* * *

Akira worriedly watched the fight before her unfold.

Zabuza shifted his weight to his left leg, then ran 180 degrees from where he had begun. Kakashi did the same. At exactly the same time.

Zabuza's eyes narrowed, not impressed. "Hmph." He lifted his hand above his head, the other close to his chin as he readied himself to perform a Jutsu. Kakashi did the same.

At exactly. The same. Time.

Zabuza's eyes widened. "What the—"

Kakashi glared.

Zabuza glowered in response. _Dang it, he's—_

"—Got that sickeningly evil look in his eye, right?" Kakashi finished.

He froze. "_How is he… ?!_" Zabuza whispered in shock. He growled and yelled a provocation back at Kakashi. "What are you talking about?!

"You're just a copy; I'm the real deal!" They shouted in unison.

Zabuza stopped dead in his movements.

His vision swept from Kakashi to something behind him. Akira couldn't quite hear what he said, but a huge water vortex came hurling at Zabuza. He didn't even have time to blink before it hit him.

Akira realized that they were inevitably going to get sucked in, too. "Grab onto something!" They scattered, each grabbing onto a nearby tree.

Water surged around them, and Akira found that she needed to use all her strength just to hold onto the tree.

Before she knew it, the water had swirled away to a trickle.

Akira exhaled, letting herself relax. She sat on her knees. She looked around, trying to find Zabuza and Kakashi and to see what happened.

Zabuza was now backed against a tree, battered and bruised by the vortex. "You… what are you? Can you… _see the future_?"

Kakashi didn't respond at first, instead reaching into his holster bag, spinning a kunai knife on his finger before grasping it firmly. "Your future," He began. "Is _death_." Zabuza flinched. Kakashi's grip became firmer.

Before anyone could do anything, however, a few needles whizzed through the air, sticking themselves into Zabuza's neck. Zabuza fell over, eyes glazed over and frozen open.

"You were right," A teenaged boy with a mask covering his face mused. "He died."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Kakashi landed next to Zabuza's body, checking his pulse. "Yes. He's dead."

The boy jumped down, throwing Zabuza over his shoulder. "Thank you for your service. He killed many people. I will rid of the body." Without another word, he leaped away into the distance.

Kakashi stood. "Is everyone okay?"

Akira let her grip on the tree fall. "Yes, thank you."

Sakura squeezed the water out of her hair. "Ugh, and I had just got my hair done…"

Tazuna picked up his fallen hat. "I apologize again for this. I hadn't expected ninja of Zabuza's level to come after me."

"No, it's quite alright," Akiko reassured. "We were the ones that took the chance of continuing on."

Akiko then turned to Kakashi to ask what to do next, but paused at the sight of his pale face.

"Kakashi-senpai, are you alright?" she questioned, fighting back the urge to check his temperature as she remembered her earlier promise to avoid direct contact with him.

Kakashi didn't respond, only running a hand through his hair and briskly shaking his head to clear it.

"Sensei?" Akira shook his shoulder a little.

"Wha… huh?" Kakashi snapped out of it. "Sorry, what were you sayi—"

Kakashi stumbled backward as aching pain shot through his skull. He grasped his head, realizing the pain was right where his Sharingan was. _I overused it again, dang it…_

Sakura came a little closer. "Sensei, it was kind of you to ask if _we_ were okay, but please check on yourself first!"

"This has happened before; I'm just fine—" Kakashi brought his other hand to his face as the pain pulsed again. He hadn't even realized that his knees had buckled until he felt the ground beneath them.

He inwardly cursed as the world spun before finally going dark.


End file.
